Christian Kuntz

Christian Kuntz's Biography

Born on April 13, 1994, Christian Kuntz is one of America’s professional long snappers currently playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League (NFL). His passion for football was ignited during his college years at Duquesne, where his athletic prowess made him one of the best performers on the team. Born to Kathy and Theo Kuntz, Christian grew up with two brothers, Jimmy and Louis, in a family that nurtured his love for sports.

Christian’s journey began at Chartiers Valley High School in Pennsylvania, where he dabbled in basketball and football. In addition to his football exploits, he managed to achieve a Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) title on the basketball court alongside his close friend and future NBA player, T.J. McConnell. However, Christian’s sporting journey took a temporary pause when he suffered a ruptured spleen, forcing him to sit out his senior season.

Despite the setback, Christian’s passion for football never waned. At Duquesne, he played as a linebacker and made considerable strides despite tearing his anterior cruciate ligament during his sophomore year. Undeterred, Christian bounced back and posted impressive statistics as a junior. He recorded 26 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, six pass breakups, and four interceptions, a record that saw him gain national recognition.

Christian’s senior year was equally impressive, where he recorded 24 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks. By the end of his college career, he had made a record of 30.5 sacks and 71.5 career tackles for loss, ranking him sixth all-time on the Football Championship Subdivision list. This positive performance earned him a second-team Associated Press All-American in 2015 and 2016, and twice he was named the Northeast Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

Christian’s NFL journey was a rollercoaster ride. He went undrafted in 2017 but was signed by the New England Patriots in August the same year. However, he was waived the following day. From this experience, he decided to focus on developing his skills as a long snapper. Christian’s talents led him to sign with the Denver Broncos in March 2018 but was waived in June the same year.

He later joined the Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad in December, with whom he signed a futures contract at the end of the year. However, he was waived in June 2019. The Pittsburgh Steelers saw potential in him and signed him in August 2019. After displaying impressive performance during the preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers, Christian was waived during the final roster cuts.

Despite the setback, his performance had not gone unnoticed. Daryl Johnston, the director of player personnel for the Dallas Renegades, was impressed with Christian’s abilities as a long snapper. Johnston convinced the assistant coach, Kenny Perry, to hire Christian due to his superior coverage skills. However, the XFL season was canceled five games into the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He had his contract terminated when the league suspended operations in April 2020.

The Steelers re-signed him in March 2020. Despite being waived in August the same year, he had tryouts with the Houston Texans and the Indianapolis Colts. But it was the Steelers who gave him another shot at the game, signing him to their practice squad in November 2020. After being released and re-signed again, Christian finally signed a reserve/futures contract with the Steelers on January 14, 2021.

Continuing his journey with the Steelers, Christian re-signed a one-year contract with the team in February 2023. Recognizing his valuable contribution to the team, the Steelers decided to sign him on a three-year contract extension on March 14, 2024, cementing his place in the NFL.